Strangely Familiar

Death and its Spectre (Poonam Desai, 2016) The painted bunting is magnificent. I had never heard of this bird until Sagar sent me a picture of its lifeless form, found outside of our home. I knew immediately I had to attempt to capture it. As gorgeous as it is, I am constantly reminded that the body is a shell to contain our soaring life. I, like the elegant bunting, must go at some time. And so what becomes of the significance of our daily insignificances? How do I balance the gravity of the moment with the utter absurdity of it? ~Body, Mind, and Shadow~ My skin is bruised, muscles sore Plump purple considerations On an otherwise caramel slate But nothing makes me feel more alive Than being a little bit broken I don’t want pretty blue right angles When I can be obtuse and acute And dark enough to blend into the shadows Light enough to be seen I’ll be a ghost Observing the fray from another dimension I’m here Behind my skin Using my eyes to gaze...

Deep breath... This was hard for me to read, and I had been avoiding it because I knew it would be. I don't like being affected by things that I don't feel I have the power to change. But her statement is powerful, and by sharing it, I share in her power. http://www.techly.com.au/2016/06/07/the-stanford-rape-victim-delivered-the-most-powerful-court-statement-youll-ever-see/ There are multiple levels of injustice here: the assault and utter lack of consent, the lack of responsibility the defendant and his family are showing, the handling of the case by the defendant's attorney, the probation officer's recommendation for a laughable sentence given the nature of the crime, and the judge's ruling (the latter two of which are unquestionably hinged on whiteness, privilege, and money). All of these factors serve to further rape culture. These are the excerpts that stood out to me. "The probation officer’s recommendation of a year or less in county jail is a mockery o...

Has it ever occurred to you that we're living on borrowed time? Our bones are borrowed. Our blood. Our smiles, our speech. All of these things we consider to be "I" have been lent to us for this brief life to do what we can. We can use it gently, or run it into the ground; at the end of the day, we must return it... to... [blank]. I've been obsessing over this thought lately. That none of these moments are really mine, not the laughter, not the tears, not the triumphs, not the fears. It is precious because I want to keep it all so badly, while I simultaneously know I cannot. So I write to make sense of it all: the ugly, the beautiful, the brutal, the sweet, the confounding, the inspiring. And here is my offering this Sunday night. As always, I would love to get feedback. Unusual for me, I wrote this as a rap, or spoken word piece. So read it with rhythm... "Committed" My art is so real it drips red on the pavement it pulls the lovers close as th...

Happy Diwali, to all! Diwali, as many of you know it, is the Hindu Festival of Light. But, you don't have to be a certain religion to invite light into your life. Every step any of us takes toward education, toward knowledge, toward truth is a step toward our own inner light. Today, I invite that light into my home and into myself so that I may spread light on to others. As I grow older, I find it more difficult, in many ways, to keep with the traditions of my culture and family. When I was younger, my parents led the charge, making sweets, putting up lights, and having us sit down together in prayer. In college, being so connected to a group of youth similar to myself culturally and spiritually made it almost as easy. Celebrating these holidays was a fun, shared experience. As a full-fledged adult, it's harder for me to set time aside for these things. I have to do it very intentionally. It's so easy to plan my year around the "normal" holidays (e.g. Christm...

     Visiting my sister’s house is always a dive into another world. A world where time is not a rule but a guideline, where busyness is sometimes there, but comes with equal measures of peace and silliness. This weekend, staying there, I spent much needed time outside under trees, birds, and butterflies. I walked with my dad, spent time playing with my niece and nephew, and took the time to read and reflect that I had not done for some time. While reading Mindful magazine, I was particularly struck by an article on being addicted to being busy. And there I was- reflected right there in those words. “The busier we keep ourselves, the more we avoid being confronted with questions of life and death… We keep a safe and comfortable distance to the issues that are sometimes hard to look at…” And most importantly, the conclusion: “Busyness is a choice. We may have deadlines, projects, and activities, but we have the freedom to choose whether we become action addicts and bus...

Friends, I've had this poem brewing in my mind for a while, and finally put it onto paper. I am constantly reminded of Bishop Desmond Tutu's famous quote, and one of my favorites: "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." As a society, we can only progress so far when some of compatriots are kept so far behind. I don't believe we're rich if 48.1 million citizens live in food-insecure households. I don't believe we're educated if 14% of the American adult population is illiterate. I don't believe we're safe if an average of 86 individuals die each day from gun violence, and mass murders are sprinkled in our news coverage like a sick salt. Mostly, though, I focus on the systematic racism and oppression that is still perpetuated in so many invisible and visible ways in our society. I can't breathe thinking about all these horrific murders. I can't breathe thinking about how my skin color makes me less saf...

Hey friends! I've been on a reading spree this past year, so I thought I would share with you what I've read and what I've thought about these books. If you have any suggestions for me, I'd be glad to hear them =) It’s What I Do- Lynsay Addario-  Fabulous book about a woman’s passion for photography and furthering her career, while also balancing the realities of being a war/conflict photojournalist and wanting to have a family. The Emotional Life of Your Brain- Richard J. Davidson  Very informative, but fairly dry and intellectual. He talks about different emotions, how they relate to and are shaped by our brains, and vice versa. The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel- Milan Kundera I was more than disappointed by this book. While the story had a few gems of literary moments, it largely follows the path of a Czech couple and their extramarital couplings, as well as the accompanying sadness of such a life.  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Dou...